12 Roses

29 | Raging Fire

Shouts of freedom sounded through the air as you were let out of your final exams and summer vacation officially started.

You had slipped away from the others, who you promised to meet by the gate, and you opened your locker to pull something out before going to your home room.

Gojo sat at his desk, his face scrunched up as he faced a test paper. "Why the hell do these kids have to know this by heart anyways... I don't even know who this guy is."

You reached for the light switch, then paused and knocked on the door, gaining his attention.

It was one of the few times you had caught him without his sunglasses on. His eyes seemed larger when he revealed the brilliant blue that they were, like the sky with specks of white for clouds.

"Hey Y/N," he greeted, his face lighting up at the sight of something that wasn't a test paper. "What's up?"

You held out a gift bag — it was a ritual you had to give flowers to your favourite teacher of the year. He was your only teacher, so it wasn't like you had a choice, but you were sure that he would have been your favourite, even with his sloppy sign language, as if his hands were getting in the way of each other.

His brows raised and he took the gift bag and peered inside. The beautiful thing about Gojo's eyes was that they were like glass, unable to hide what was beyond them — at least to you. His eyes filled with the warmth of a sunset, not quite searing but the sun was still there.

Gojo gazed at you and smiled. "No one's ever given me flowers before."

"I always give flowers to my favourite teachers."

"But I was your only teacher! Now I don't feel all that special."

"You would've been my favourite teacher even if I had a hundred!"

You paused. It was a sudden statement, yet nothing made you want to take it back, even if your only interactions with him involved asking him about homework or answering questions in class, save for when you asked him about Tsumiki.

He stared at you, dumbfounded, then laughed. "Whatever you say, Y/N. Have a good summer."

"You too... you should visit sometime. Chisai, I mean. I think Suguru would like it."

Gojo was quiet, a new kind of quiet that made you think it was a mistake for even suggesting such a thing. His eyes seemed pained. "I don't think so."

"Well, the good thing about thoughts is that they're all in your head."

You waved bye to him and he peered into the bag once more, seeing a card lying at the bottom, beneath the different colour petals of the flowers tied into a bouquet.

His eyes scanned the card, which had a list of each flower with its meaning. It was your handwriting. He recognized it from the many worksheets and essays and tests you had left on his desk, from the cards you had given him for holidays.

It was strange, seeing so much of his students in things, like when he'd spot Maki's favourite junk foods that she would eat during class, when he'd see pandas around and it would remind him of Panda, who usually sat just a few feet in front of him, when he'd see the sun rise and remember how much Toge hated mornings, when he'd spot kids scrambling to get to school on time and remember all the times Yuta would be running late for class.

He smiled at your writing, even though it didn't say much.

Then his eyes stopped on a word, the name of a flower: lavender.

Lavender:
The lavender is best known for its calming aroma and its association with tranquility and can help with anxiety. However, it also is connected to renewal, personal growth, and new beginnings. Whether it be starting a new career, pursuing a passion, or even just gaining a new outlook on life, a lavender symbolizes the opportunity to kindle the flames of life and beginning and embark on a new journey — or perhaps, restart an old one.